Mirror, Mirror

As we continue in James, we reach a familiar passage. James even illustrates the passage in a relatable way for everyone, but let’s look at these verses with fresh eyes.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.[1]

James 1:22-25

If I asked you to write down all the ways you heard God’s Word this week, what would you include? Corporate Worship. Sunday School. Your favorite Christian podcast. A mid-week service. Songs based on Scripture. A verse on social media. Reading your Bible. If I asked what you could remember from what you heard, what would you say? Now, let’s take it one step further. If I asked what you applied from what you heard, would you have specific ways you acted upon God’s Word?

There is no shortage of ways to hear God’s Word. We may even be diligent to hear God’s Word consistently, but are we hearers only? Warren Wiersbe made this observation: “Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them!”[2]

Before we dive into James’ text, let’s hear Jesus and Paul’s teachings.

But he [Jesus] said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Luke 11:28

24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does notdo them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (emphasis added)

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Romans 2:13

James echoes Jesus’ teaching that we must not be only hearers of the Word. If we are, we deceive ourselves. Wait! What did you say, James? We deceive ourselves? How? First, the word deceive in the Greek is a mathematical term for a miscalculation. As James applies it here, it would then be a spiritual miscalculation. We think knowing God’s Word is sufficient. We think we are doing well because we heard the Word, but we have missed the purpose of God’s Word – examination and transformation. Hearing is good, but James says that the one who hears and does is the one who is blessed. C.H. Spurgeon comments: ““I fear we have many such in all congregations; admiring hearers, affectionate hearers, attached hearers, but all the while unblest hearers, because they are not doers of the word.”[3]

Those that only hear are deceived because the Gospel is for salvation and sanctification. Sanctification means obeying the Word of God. Doing what is in the Word of God.

Deceive also meant to defraud. In this case, when we only hear and not hear and do, we defraud ourselves of the opportunity to grow spiritually.

Second, faith leads to action. Abraham believed God, so he did what God told him, taking Isaac his son of promise up the mountain to sacrifice him. Noah had never witnessed a drop of rain, yet he believed God would send a flood and built the ark exactly as God instructed him. Both Abraham and Noah were blessed by doing what they heard from God.

James follows his charge of hearing and doing with an analogy. In verse 21, he compared the Word of God to an implanted seed. Now, James compares God’s Word to a mirror. In his illustration, James says the man who only hears is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, then goes away forgetting what he looked like.

“looks intently” – a penetrating examination not a casual glance. Careful scrutiny. This is the person who is diligent to hear God’s Word. As Wiersbe stated, this person is marking up their Bible and paying attention. This person might even read commentaries and look up the original Greek or Hebrew.

“natural face” – literally “face of his genesis.” His natural state. The easiest way to think about this is when you wake up in the morning. Your natural state is rumpled hair and pajamas. For some women, it means no make-up. For men, they are unshaven. Spiritually, our natural face is our inner man, our motives, thoughts, and desires.

“mirror” – a mirror allows us to examine our appearance. The mirror of God’s Word does the same. Looking into God’s Word, we can examine our hearts. God’s Word reveals our sin, the need for repentance, and the grace of the Gospel. Spurgeon aptly depicted the mirror of God’s Word: “The thoughts of God, and not our own thoughts, are to be set before our hearers’ minds; and these discover a man to himself. The Word of the Lord is a revealer of secrets: it shows a man his life, his thoughts, his heart, his inmost self.”[4]

The hearer walks away from his penetrating examination of God’s Word and forgets. This person looked intently but it was a fleeting impression. There is no transformation. James shows us how ridiculous this is. Most people would never get up in the morning, see their rumpled hair, unkept face, pajamas, know their breath would knock an elephant over, and their armpits stink, and then directly hop in the car to go to work. It is even more ridiculous for us to hear God’s Word, look at it intently, and then go away and forget it. Just like the person looking intently at their physical appearance and knowing what to change and making those changes before leaving the house, the believer will be better for being a hearer and doer of the Word.

Don’t wait to apply or act on God’s Word. When you hear or read God’s Word, determine at least one thing you can do in response. Don’t be a half-hearted doer. Noah would have been in trouble when the flood came if he built the ark the way some kids reluctantly clean their room. Meditate on God’s Word. Memorize God’s Word. Talk about God’s Word. Seek accountability for what you are applying from God’s Word.

In contrast to the hearer who forgets, “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (vs 25).

“perfect law” – some say this is the Mosaic law, but James’ previous use of Word (vs 18, 21, 22) would more accurately tie this to the Gospel. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) which we never could. Perfectis the same Greek word used in verse 4 with the idea of complete. God’s Word has all we need to be doers who are pleasing to God.

“perfect law of liberty” – The Gospel frees us from the power of sin, and the Holy Spirit applies God’s Word and the good news of the Gospel to our hearts so that we are able to obey or be doers of the Word out of thankfulness for what God has done and love for who God is.

The one who hears and does perseveres and is blessed. Connect this back to the trials and temptations in the first part of James 1. Genuine faith was evidenced in trials. The result was steadfastness. Steadfastness in trials isn’t a result of only hearing God’s Word. It is the result of acting on what you know to be true about God, who He is, what He has done, what He has promised, what He has told us to do. The person who remains steadfast under trial is blessed. The person who is a hearer and a doer is blessed in their doing (contrast to worthless religion in verse 26) because they are doing what God’s Word instructs. Blessing follows obedience.

One final note: To be doers of the Word, we need wisdom (vs 5) and the power of the implanted Word (vs 18, 21). We cannot be doers in our own strength and ability. As Paul asked: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now perfected by the flesh” (Galatians 3:3)?

Reflection

1. Have you thought of yourself as being deceived when you don’t act on God’s Word? How does this truth challenge you as you hear or read God’s Word?

2. You wouldn’t ignore your natural physical appearance in the mirror, what are reasons you forget God’s Word? How does today’s passage challenge and encourage you to be a hearer and a doer of God’s Word?

3. Does the thought of “doing” something every time you hear or read God’s Word seem overwhelming? Part of my reading today was from Psalm 57:1-3. It provides an example of how we can be doers of the Word, letting God prune us with pruning shears.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge;

In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

Psalm 57:1-3

While I am writing, Israel is at war. This verse reminds me of God’s character even when things around are chaotic and evil. God is still merciful. He sends out His steadfast love and faithfulness. I can identify how I see evidence of God’s character in these events. I can praise Him that His character is unchanging. The psalmist also says he takes refuge in God. I can run to God for refuge as more of the horrors done against Israel come to light. I can cry to Him with the anger and sadness I’m feeling. I can pray for those in Israel to find their refuge in Him. I can pray for God’s mercy towards Israel. I can take comfort that God fulfills His purposes for me and for those in Israel. Nothing and no one can thwart His plan. I can have hope that God is working and will continue to work out His purposes.

This is an example of how we can immediately be doers of the Word, how we can apply what we hear or read right away. Over time, we can build on it, making a habit. Sometimes there may be a dramatic change with something we apply, but most often it will be faithfully doing God’s Word in the everyday things of life.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 1:22–25. [2] Wiersbe, Warren. James: Be Mature – Growing Up In Christ. Colorado Springs, David C. Cook, 1978. [3] David Guzik, James, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jas 1:22–25. [4] David Guzik, James, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jas 1:22–25.